Nine Lives of Jade West
by OneVictoriousWolf
Summary: "Don't worry. I'll be fine." Jade suddenly flashes her claws and Cat stifles a yelp. Jade West thought she was normal, but she was dead wrong. "Newsflash, dying sucks. I'm so not going there again." Jyder. Cabbie.


**Jade West as Chloe King **

**Beck Oliver as Brian Rezza **

**Ryder Daniels as Alek Petrov **

**Tori Vega as Jasmine **

**Cat Valentine as Amy Martins **

**Robbie Shapiro as Paul Khan **

**A/N: This story is an Alternate Universe. Don't like, don't read; that simple. **

"_Jade, get up," _Brooke West, Jade's adoptive mom, yelled across the hall already dressed for the day. Brooke reached Jade's door and banged on it. "I swear I am not driving you to school today!" Brooke shouted before walking down the stairs.

Jade sighed as she started awakening. She looked at her nightstand as her phone went off. She grabbed it and checked it. She smiled before she got up and went to her bathroom to get dressed.

"Jade West, if you are not down here in five seconds, I'm gonna go up there." Brooke shouted just before Jade walked into the kitchen, dressed.

Jade comments, "Calm down, crazy lady, or you're going to pop something you might need."

"Jade?"

"Oh, sorry, no time; I have a super mean mom who won't drive me to school."

"Jade."

"What?" Jade asked, turning back around from the door she was about to exit.

"Sit." Brooke said, pointing to a chair next to her. Jade sighed and sat down. "So..."

"Fine, let's see, um, I got a B on my geometry quiz." Jade spoke. "Which is better than it could have been."

"Yeah..."

"Oh, and that girl who everyone thought was gonna get pregnant. She's pregnant.

"Oh, no."

"And no, at no point did an even remotely cute boy look my way and say "Hey, Jade" so pretty much, all is right with the world. Happy?" Jade asked.

"Very." Brooke responded. "Go."

"Oh, and Jade...?" Jade turned around at the sound of her mom's voice.

"Huh?"

"Say "Hi" to Cat and Robbie for me."

"How did you know how I was...?" Jade trailed off.

Brooke points at herself, "This is why I'm in charge."

"Text me," Jade responded.

"I love you too." Brooke said, watching Jade walk out the door.

"Implied!" She calls out before the door slams.

_**[Beach]**_

The sky is foggy and muddy as Jade, Cat, and Robbie sit at the beach. Robbie holds out the birthday cupcake for Jade with the candle lit. "Uh, hurry, make a wish. My hands are on fire." Robbie says. Jade blows which causes spit to go all over his hands. "And now it's covered in spit." Robbie added. She and Cat laugh after Robbie's recent words, "This one's definitely yours."

"Happy pre-birthday...!" Cat yells, putting her hands up in the air and Jade has a slight smile on her face. "I can't believe tomorrow's your big 1-6."

"Thanks."

"What did you wish for?" Robbie asked as Jade took the candle out of the cupcake.

"No, you can't tell!" Cat exclaimed, slapping him on the arm repeatedly. "She can't tell!"

"Really, it wasn't a big..." Jade pauses. "I just wished for things to be different."

"What things?" Cat wondered, watching as Jade stood up.

"Everything," She responded.

"You mean you want more than two friends?" Cat asks, jumping to conclusions.

"Cat, it was not about you."

Jade stands up on one of the wooden posts that hold up the heavy chain that separates the grass from the bike path. "I would kind of like to be kissed once in my life." Jade spoke.

Robbie responds offended, "Hey! You've been kissed."

"We were seven."

"And clearly so traumatized by the experience that it's taken her almost ten years to want to do it again."

"And right back to hey."

"I just feel like I want to take a risk. Do something special. Be noticed. Maybe I'm just tired of being the good girl."

"Uh, how are you doing that?" Robbie suddenly asked. Jade looks down to see she is balancing in the center of the chain strung between the posts.

"I don't know. It's easy." She responds then balances on one foot, showing off and hops down. Robbie immediately tries to duplicate the feat. "It sounds so lame when I say it out loud, but I want to do something risky. Changed...just not be me for a little while. It's hard to describe."

Cat asks, "So, do you want to go back to my house and watch a move?"

"Were you not just listening to me?" Jade glanced at her.

"Yeah, but that's what we always do."

Suddenly, Robbie flips off the chain and lands on his back between them. "You're a liar." Robbie spoke. "That is so not easy." As soon as he gets up, he continues. "Hey, let's go to my house and play World of Warcraft. You can totally pick the realm."

Jade starts to smirk, mischievously then says, "Thanks. But I've got a better idea."

_**[Club]**_

Moments later, the three of them are standing across the street from THE BANK, a pulsing club that the young and the beautiful are lined up to get into. Cat doesn't look too sure.

Robbie comments, "This is so much better.

"Come on." Jade says. They cross the street, dodging traffic, but the entrance is blocked by a couple of big guys checking IDs.

Cat objects, "There's no way they're letting any of us in there."

Jade looked down the alley that runs along the side of the building; nothing. But suddenly, a frat boy and his girlfriend tumble out of the fire exit just before the frat boy vomits over the railing. Nice. Jade sees her chance and slips in behind them. She holds the door open. Let's go! Now or never!

"No. Jade, we can't..." Cat starts to say as Robbie hesitates for only a second before following after her. "Wait for me." She hustles up the steps.

Minutes later, they made their way through the crowded, throbbing space and find room at the end of the bar. Cat is super uncomfortable, but Robbie can barely contain his smile. He nods and winks at two models; they immediately move away.

Jade warns him, "Don't do that. Be cool."

Just then, a good-looking, young guy, Andre Harris slides up next to Jade and checks her out. She shoots her friends a look. See? This is how it's done.

"Hi." Jade greeted him.

"Hi." He responds. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look kind of young."

Jade lies, "I'm over eighteen."

"Good to know, but you have to be over twenty-one."

"Please don't tell anyone."

"It's okay. I'm using my brother's ID."

Jade smiles, relieved, then, "Dance with me!"

She doesn't really give him a chance to respond as she pulls him onto the dance floor. Seconds later, on the dance floor, Jade and Andre are burning up the place. Actually, Andre is just doing his best to keep up; Jade is sexy and free and loving every minute of it. Who is this girl?

Later, Jade and Andre come out of the club, hot and sweaty. "Okay, you, my young friend, are wild." Andre comments.

"No one's every said that about me before." Jade is pleased.

"I find that hard to believe. You know my brother's place is just a couple of blocks..." Andre trails off.

"I'm not that wild, yet." Jade responded. "I really, truly, have to go. I still can't believe that Cat and Robbie ditched me."

"Will you maybe, at least call me?" Andre asks. Jade hands him her phone so he can put in his info. When he's done, he hands it back to her and she looks at it.

"Andre." She reads. "I like the name."

"Let's hope you like the face that goes with it." He responds as she snaps a picture of him.

"I think I do. See ya." Jade replied. She starts to go, but stops and glances back. Jade walks up to Andre and kisses him, hard on the lips. When she lets go, he's not quite sure what hit him and touches his lips.

"See? I knew I'd been missing out."

"Wow. Uh, are you sure I can't at least give you a ride?" Andre asks. "It's pretty cold out."

"I like it. It makes me feel alive." This time she really does go, running of across the street for home. A figure in a long, black, leather coat is watching her from the alley.

_**[Hollywood Arts]**_

Jade is next to her locker, anxiously scanning the crowded hallway when she spots a pink fur coat make a hasty U-turn. "Cat!" She shouts at her. Cat doesn't slow down. Jade catches up and cuts her off. Cat side-steps and keeps on walking as Jade follows.

"Oh, hey, Jade," Cat notices her.

"I can't believe that you just left me there, but you're forgiven. I ended up having like the greatest night of my entire life."

Cat stops in her tracks, "Why, because we left?"

"No, because of him," She shows Cat the picture of Andre on her phone. "His name is Andre. He kissed me. We kissed each other. Yesterday, I said I wanted to happen and it did. Actually, I made it happened which is kind of even cooler."

"Oh, my god, Jade, I can't believe..." Cat trails off, looking away to see Ryder Daniels and his crew come their way just like any other day. "Look perky, from Russia with Love at ten o'clock."

Jade glances back and sees Ryder Daniels coming down the hall with his posse, bouncing a ball of the walls. "That is your crazy obsession, not mine." Jade says before going back to her story. "I still can't believe I actually did it. You would've been so proud of me. I just walked straight up to him..." Jade is interrupted by Cat shrieking a little when Ryder bounces the ball above Jade's head on the wall. "I don't know if I'm ever going to talk to him again, but..." Jade's had it and takes the ball, walking to Ryder. "Hey, jerkoff, do you mind? People are trying to have a conversation. Go play "Look at me" somewhere else."

She rifles it down the hall where it bounces off a wall and swooshes straight into the trash can. Everyone looks at her. Cat denies, "You did not just do that."

"I think I did." Jade looks as shocked as everyone else. She grabs Cat's arm and they self-consciously hurry off. Ryder watches Jade disappear up the stairs.

_**[Classroom - Later]**_

Jade is sitting near the back. She's tapping her pencil as she stares out the window, clearly her mind is elsewhere. Her cellphone vibrates. It simply says "157". But before she can even react, "Miss West, the answer, please?"

"157." She responds. The teachers, slightly annoyed turns back to the board as Jade scans the room. Ryder looks back at her from the front row and holds up his cellphone.

_**[Jade's Locker - Later]**_

Jade is at her locker when Ryder comes up. His bad-boy smile makes him a hard guy not to like. He suddenly says, "You're welcome."

"Thanks. I owe you."

"I look forward to collecting." He steps into her personal space. Jade automatically backs up, but the locker is behind her.

"Um, you haven't spoken to me in two years. Let's go back to that."

"You smell very good." Ryder said, sniffing Jade a little.

"Okay, crazy non-sequitur man, it's called bathing; try it."

"What do you give me such a hard time, Jade West?"

"Believe me; if I knew it was going to have this kind of effect, I would have never touched your ball. Don't say it."

"Something tells me we're going to be very good friends." He starts to lean in. Jade seems frozen when suddenly - a beautiful, but not very happy girl- Tori Vega calls out from the end of the hall. She and Ryder exchange a look. Ryder turns back to Jade and shrugs.

"Well, uh, nice chatting. Let's try and never do that again." Jade says and walks off as Ryder and Tori exchange another look.

_**[Vintage Clothing Store]**_

Jade is working at a hip vintage clothing store on a bustling street. "When did we get these in?" Jade asks, looking in a mirror while she holds up a fairly sexy black top. Her slightly bitchy, co-worker Lana looks up from the magazine she's reading behind the register.

"Yesterday when somebody decided to take off early and left me to do all the restocking." Lana remarks.

"Which is why it still hasn't been done," Jade says then goes back to the top. "I'm going to put this on hold."

"For you...?" Lana asks. "I'm just saying that's not exactly the kind of top that likes to sit home by itself on Saturday night."

Jade looks in the mirror again. Maybe it isn't her. She walks back to the counter and suddenly says, "Oh, turn it up. I love that song."

Lana looks down at her iPod with its earbuds attached, lying on the counter. There seems to be no sound coming out. "You can hear that?"

"Sure. Can't you?" Lana looks at her suspiciously, but the jingle of the door changes the subject. A handsome guy in a motorcycle jacket has come in and is going through the racks. Jade and Lana exchange looks. Jade gives her a "watch this" and heads across the store.

"Hi." Jade greets the guy. The guy turns around. He's Beck, a tall, sweet good looking guy with kind eyes. Jade wasn't totally prepared for how cute he was going to be.

"Hi." Beck responds. Suddenly, the music comes on a little too loud and then Lana turns it down. "I love that song."

"I just said that..." She gets cut off when she knocks over a coat rack. Oops, once again, so much for being smooth. He quickly helps her pick it up. Finally, she takes a deep breath and asks, "Can I help you with something?"

"I just need an opinion." He puts on a funky, knit cap that has little cat ears on it. "Is it ironic or just lame?"

"It's a little bit of both? But it works with the jacket. Are you a cat person?"

"Nah, I've just got cold ears. I'll take it." He follows Jade to the counter. She smiles at him again. She likes this guy.

"So, are you in college?" She asks, but when he doesn't answer right away, she rambles on. "I'm just asking, because we get a lot of people from the university. We ran this ad; you never know if it's working or not, because..."

"Stop talking." Lana stops Jade from mumbling on some more.

"That'll be twelve dollars." Jade responds.

"Back east. I'm taking a semester off to help out with some family stuff." Beck says then takes the subject to the hat. "I kind of packed in a hurry."

"I'm Jade."

"I'm Beck."

"Every afternoon from three to six; in case there's anything else you forgot to pack."

"Then maybe I'll see you around sometime between three and six." One more furtive look and Beck heads out.

"I don't know what you did with Jade, but when you see her, tell her she needs to tag the sale rack." Lana spoke to an absentminded Jade and walked away. Jade looks in the mirror again. She takes the top and puts it behind the counter. She kind of likes this new her.

_**[Street - Day]**_

Jade is walking down the street, furiously texting. "No. You have to meet me!" Jade shouted to herself while typing. She steps off the curb without looking and "Watch out!" a bike messenger called out to her. He skids to a halt and looks back, but Jade's not there. She's crouched on the roof of a car next to where they should have hit.

"How did you...?"

She has no idea. She's not sure how she got there either, but a smirk starts to creep across her face.

Jade is now sprinting down the steep, crowded street fast than she could ever imagine possible as she ducks giddily between people and obstacles. At the last second, she swerves and darts down an alley, careening off the alley wall, five feet in the air. She races forward, jumping over trash cans, just clearing a car as it pulls out in front of her. It's almost as if she's flying.

Ahead is a fire escape ladder hanging down from a second story building. She picks up speed, leaps of a dumpster and just misses the ladder. She sails pasts and lands in a pile of boxes. Crash! There are limits, but still, it was pretty cool.

_**[Chinese Restaurant]**_

Cat, whose chopsticks are still in mid-air, is staring across the table at Jade, who is shoveling it in. "Wait. What? So suddenly you have like super powers?" Cat asked.

"Jumping over a dumpster doesn't really qualify as a super power. But it's kind of weird, right? It's like this burst of energy and I knew I could do it. Oh, and I can hear things."

"Like little men in your head things." Cat wondered.

"No." Jade overhears something and grossed out, she says, "Ew, I think they just spit in that guys food."

She turns around and a waiter is setting food in front of a very unpleasant customer. Several cooks are watching from the kitchen, whispering. Cat pushes her food away.

Jade continues, "It's like my non-wish birthday wish came true. It's hard to explain. I just feel so different."

"What did you have for breakfast?"

"Spinach, that isn't a fortified breakfast cereal thing."

"Hormonal?"

"Yeah, no, that's a whole different kind of crazy." Jade responded.

"Obviously, there has to be some kind of explanation. You know other than you're a freak."

"And you're worthless." Jade responded. "I wish Robbie would've shown. The comic book King would be so into this."

"I told him not to come."

Jade questioned, "Why?"

"Robbie and I made out!" Cat exclaimed.

"What, when?"

"Last night. At first, it was just kind of an "oh-here-we-are-on-the-dance-floor-what-are-we-going-to-do-now" kind of thing, but then not so much?"

"You and Robbie...?"

"I know. But don't worry; you're so not going to be a third wheel."

"Wait. You just kissed and now you're a couple? I've talked to you every day, all say, since we were like two and never once have you said that you have a thing for Robbie.

"I kind of didn't know until it happened. Are you jealous?"

"Of you and Robbie...? Uh, no, I'm not."

"You don't have to be mean."

"I'm not being mean; I'm being surprised."

"I thought you'd be happy for us."

"I am. Was he any good?"

"Surprisingly yes...at first, it was a little awkward, but then we got into it..."

"Okay, no. I can accept it; I just can't hear about it." Jade cut her off. She looked away and saw Tori enter the building. "Oh no, there's Ryder's girlfriend."

"EW, creepy, no," Cat gives Tori a little wave. "They're cousins; she's in my AP history class. And why do you even care?"

"He kind of tried to kiss me."

"Jade!" Cat squeals. "Did you let him?"

"No. But I did just shamelessly throw myself at the guy with the world's most beautiful eyes?"

"Did he throw back?"

"Yeah, I think he kind of did."

"Oh, my god, Jade, who are you?"

Jade just laughs and shrugs, "I have no idea."

_**[Outside the Restaurant]**_

The girls come out of the restaurant and head up the street. They're definitely being followed. Cat started, "Okay, we need to make a plan. First, wait a day and call bank boy."

"I don't know. That was just kind of a drive-by flirting." Jade declares.

"Two days ago, your options were zero and no one. He stays on the list and then there's Ryder."

"His Slavic hotness...?" Jade questioned. "Let it go. It's never happening."

"Before you rush to judgment, you should see him with his shirt off. Fine, then that just leaves Kitty Hat."

"Now, he's a definite yes." Suddenly, Jade grabs Cat's arm and stops. She looks behind them and no one's there. "Sorry. I thought I heard something.

"This isn't going to become a thing, is it? So, what do you think if the four of us went out on a double date sometime? Would it be weird?" Cat asked when they stop next to Cat's car.

"First of all, I don't know if I'll ever see him again. Second of all, yeah, it'd be weird. But I still want to go. I'm really happy for you and Robbie."

"Thanks, me too," Cat gets into the car. "And Jade, try not to wrestle too many bad guys on your way home." Jade waved before walking away. She turns back one more time, but still, no one is there. She shrugs and runs of across the street.

_**[Deserted Street]**_

Smack! Jade lands in the middle of a sidewalk, and she decides which way to go for a moment, turns around and a fairy scary-looking guy is right in front of her. "Hey. Spare a buck?" Jade is startled a bit.

"What? No, I don't. Sorry."

"Then maybe something else." And he grabs her by the wrist before she can get away.

"Help...!" She calls out. "Let go of me." They struggle and Jade swings at him with her free hand. AAAAH! The homeless guy screams and lets go, stumbling backwards, grabbing at his face.

"You bitch! What'd you do to me?!" He pulls his hand away and his face is shredded and bleeding. He has four claw marks across his cheek. He immediately stumbles back, trying to get away. Jade looks down at her hands and she has _claws_. Jade stands staring down at her claws. Crash! The homeless guy she just sliced and diced stumbles back over some trash cans. "Stay away from me." The homeless says and Jade runs away.

_**[Jade's House]**_

Jade comes to a stop in front of her house, slightly out of breath, and looks at her hands. They're perfectly normal, but then she flexes them and the claws reappear. There's blood on the tips and they quickly retract. Jade hurries up the front steps to see Brooke aggressively searching through the kitchen drawers as Jade comes in and washes her hands. "Hey."

"It's about time. You have really got to call if you're not coming straight home from work." Brooke turns to Jade, who suddenly hugs her tightly. Getting a vibe that her daughter's sad, Brooke asks, "Jade...are you okay?"

"Yeah, some crazy old homeless guy tried to grab me."

"Honey, are you hurt? Should we call the police?" Brooke wonders, concerned for her daughter's safety.

"No! No, it's so not a big deal." Jade responds. "I'm fine, really. It's just life in the big city."

Brooke isn't completely convinced as she goes back to searching the drawers. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for my exactor knife. My Wine-of-the-Month club box just came, and trust me, not a moment too soon."

Jade looked at the large, sealed cardboard box on the counter then at her hands. "I swear I just used it, well, a month ago anyway."

"Done," Jade calls out. Brooke turns to see the box open.

"How did you...?" Jade just kind of shrugged as her mom pulled out the wine.

"I'll be up in my..." Jade starts to say but Brooke cuts her off.

"Sit." Brooke orders and Jade reluctantly sits. "But in honor of your birthday, let's skip the talk and just have cake, Happy Birthday." Brooke sets a cake on the table between them.

"No singing."

"I'm not the singer. That was your dad's..." Brooke catches herself. "No singing."

"Mom, it's okay. He left over ten years ago. I'm good."

Brooke cuts the cake and hands Jade a piece. "So, in a 'not-snooping-not-judging' way, I noticed you came in a little late last night. Did you and your posse..."

"Don't say posse." Jade cuts her off.

"...rat pack, do anything special?"

"Actually, yeah, we did. We went dancing and I met a boy. Do not squeal, cry, or hug me! And I met another one this afternoon at work. He was...nice." Jade returned to her cake.

"That's it?" Brooke asked. "That's all you're going to give me."

"That's kind of everything."

"I'm sensing more to this story. You don't seem very excited."

"I am. I just...I've got a lot of stuff going on."

"What do you have going on?" Jade glances down at her hands again. "Jade?"

"Do you know anything about my birth parents?"

"Jesus Christ, Jade. You're not going to cut me a break, are you?"

"Relax. This isn't a door slammy, you're-not-my-real-mother moment. I'm just curious. I swear." She responds as Brooke pours some more wine.

"You already know everything I know which is pretty much nothing."

"There's no papers, no records?"

"Things were chaotic. The Soviet Union had just fallen. The Ukraine was a new country. Your dad was working over there when he saw you in an orphanage and fell in love."

"I know all this."

"I thought he was going to bring me home some of those stupid nesting dolls; I got a two month old baby instead. God, I wanted those dolls."

"But how did he get me out of the country? It doesn't make sense. What?"

"I think some money might have changed hands." Brooke responded.

"He stole me?"

"No. He didn't have a choice. That's just how it was."

"But didn't dad..."

"No. You're father wasn't big on explaining himself, even then." Brooke responded with a sharp tone and then her voice softened. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew the answers, too."

"Thanks for the cake." She kisses her mom on the cheek and heads upstairs. Brooke looks after her concerned. Or is there something she's not telling?"

Jade walks into her room, dressed for bed when she stands in front of her mirror. She checks out her eyes and her ears. Nothing else has changed. What the heck is going on? She doesn't even know who she is anymore.

_**[Vintage Clothing Store]**_

Jade is absentmindedly staring out the window while Cat paws through a rack with Lana standing behind the counter.

"What do you think?" Cat questioned "Robbie loves the vintage rock T's, but his mom refuses to let..."

"Cat," Jade interrupted her. "I've known him my whole life; not new information."

Cat looks at her, responding, "Okay, what is the matter with you? Did you take a header into a trash bin or are you just coming of your crazy-amped up birthday high? And do not tell me you can fly because if you do, I swear I'll have you committed."

"No, don't worry, I can't fly. That would just be weird." Jade responded.

"Did you even call Bank Boy like we planned?"

"_You_ planned." Jade corrected her.

Cat sees Lana looking at her, "Don't give me that look! She's helping me. I'm going to buy something." Lana looks doubtful and heads to the back.

"I just can't figure out what is going on with me. Nothing makes any sense. Yesterday, I was so..." She stops when she sees Cat had took Jade's phone and started dialing someone on her phone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling Bank Boy."

"Stop," Jade demanded.

"Ah, it's ringing! Here." Jade reluctantly takes it and glares at her.

"Message," Jade mutters. "Hi. This is Jade. We, uh, met at the Bank the other night. Uh, call me." She hangs up. "Never do that again."

_**[Andre's Apartment - Same Time]**_

Andre's cellphone was in his hand with its red message light flashing. Inexplicably it's on the floor. Andre is half-naked, lying next to it, eyes wide open and lips blue. He's dead.

_**[Vintage Store]**_

Slam! Jade, with Cat's help, yanks the metal grate closed in front of the store windows and starts on the padlock as Beck comes up behind them. "You're closing early?" Beck asked. "Now how am I going to indulge my quirky headwear fetish?"

"That's kitty hat." Jade whispered to Cat before turning back to Beck. "Sorry. I should have warned you that this happens a lot."

"Just know I'd planned on doing about fifteen minutes of humorous small talk before I was going to ask you this, but you want to have a cup of coffee with me?"

"I can't. Cat and I..." She gets cut off by Cat.

"Are parting ways because we have no plans together whatsoever. Bye." Cat then hustles off to her car.

"I'll take that as a yes." They go to a street park and walk along the edge of Coit Tower Park, deep in conversation. "He left when I was really young, so I barely even remember him. But four years ago, I found this old email address that my mom had hidden and I sent him a couple of messages." Jade says.

"Did he answer?"

"No. I doubt it's even active. Actually, I don't even know if he's alive. But it's okay; my mom and I make a pretty good team. _Do not_ tell her I said that. How about you? Do you get along with your parents?"

"No mom - just a dad. Our relationship is 'evolving'. My mom died five years ago and we've both been a little lost ever since."

"Well, here's to being found."

They click cups and their faces are inches apart. They're about to kiss, but a large dog starts barking and lunges for Jade. It's only stopped by the tight hold i's owner has its leash. Jade jumps back and instinctively grabs Beck's arm. "Ouch!" Beck groans. Jade's claws could've grown when the dog showed up. She immediately hides her hands in her jacket.

"Dang, you've got some nails. Dude, do something about your dog."

"She's never like this." The owner finally pulls the dog away. Jade is freaked.

Beck comments, "That was kind of random."

"Yeah, it was. Hey, I should probably go. My mom has this thing about me coming home. Thanks for the coffee." She starts getting up.

"Jade, wait, can we do this again?"

"I'd really like that. Bye." And she's gone. Jade, lost in thought, walks along the path but catches a glimpse of a man in a long, black leather coat standing in the trees. She stops and looks back. He's gone. Now fully alert, she hurries on but notices through the trees a hooded figure keeping pace with her on path about that she's about to intersect. She changes direction and heads down a different path then she hears a male voice.

"She's heading up. Cut her off." Jade immediately jumps the railing and disappears. Jade runs through the thick brush, ducking and weaving. It's twilight; the long shadows make it hard to see. Snap! She looks back. There's a flash of black moving through the trees. She's being chased. She jumps over another railing and lands on a steep path, startling a few pedestrians. She turns right, but there's another figure at the bottom of the stairs. She starts spring up the hill. At the top is Coit Tower. She ducks a vestibule. She catches a glimpse of a hooded figure racing past.

Jade immediately doubles back and heads into the building. She sprints up the winding stairs and soon has a bird's eye view of the park two-hundred feet below. The two hooded figures jog past, obviously still looking for Jade. One of them glances up and Jade immediately pulls back in, holding her breath. They didn't see her and start to move away. For the moment, she's safe. Jade lets out a sigh of relief. She turns away from the railing, but stops short because the terrifying-looking man with three scars down the side of his cheek is standing directly in front of her.

"Goodbye, Jade." He taunts with venom. She doesn't have time to scream before he violently shoves her backwards. Jade flips back over the railing, desperately grasping at nothing. The man is already gone. She catches a glimpse of the ground below as she plummets downward.

Smack! Jade slams against the pavement and then a woman screams, "She's dead." Jade's face is lifeless as blood starts to ooze out from under her head. Suddenly, Jade's eyes pop open. The scarred assassin is flying down the stairs. Under his coat, he has a knife ready on unsheathe. He bangs out the front doors, but stops dead in his tracks. There's a pool of blood on the ground, but Jade's not there.

Jade is running as fast as she can down the path away from the tower. She looks back to make sure she's not being followed and bam! She's tackled by one of the hooded figures. They stumble across the ground. Jade has her claws out at the attacker's throat. "Jade, no!" The second one runs up and takes off his hood. It's Ryder.

"We're here to help." Ryder declares. She looks up and realizes that the person on top of her is Tori. And they both have claws, too.

Soon, Tori and Ryder have Jade by an arm and they're hustling her along, constantly over their shoulders to make sure that they're not being followed.

Tori started, "We were only supposed to be watching you. You know, to make sure Ryder was right."

"I was right." Ryder declared. "I told them you'd started to transform."

"But when we saw one of the Order's assassins lurking around, we knew we had to do something."

"In here." Ryder said. He pulls them into an alley. Ryder deftly leaps teen feet up onto a fire escape and scans the street behind them. "I think we're good. We're not being followed."

"Would either of you please tell me what's going on?" Jade asks as Ryder drops back to the ground.

They start down the alley and out onto another street. "Jade, I'm so sorry." Tori apologized. "There are usually people who talk you through this. This isn't how it's normally done."

"What's done?" Jade shouted.

"Contact; your transformation was so fast."

Ryder chimes in, "You were born in the Ukraine right?"

"Yes...but how do you know that?"

"Not here." Ryder grabs Jade's other arm. "Come on."

"I think we're safe. We should probably keep moving." Tory says.

"No, no, no." Jade gets in front of them. "I'm not going anywhere with you until I get some answers. Like why is there a scar-faced freak who is trying to kill me? How does he even know my name? H-h..."

"Jade!" Tory interrupted her. "It's going to be okay. We'll answer all your questions, I promise."

"Well, here's one; what the hell are you?"

"You mean what the hell are we?" Ryder responded. "We are Mai."

"Mai...?" Jade trailed off.

"Mai are descendants of an ancient race and sacred race, not completely human, not completely god." Tory holds up a part of her necklace, set on her chest.

"We were warriors. Now we're forced to live in the shadows." Ryder responds dramatically.

"He's being slightly dramatic. We lead pretty normal lives."

"There are more of you, us?" Jade asks.

"There maybe a couple thousand in Los Angeles, but there are other Mai prides around the world."

Jade announces, "This makes no sense."

"You know what we say is true. Mai blood must run thick for you to transform so quickly."

"We didn't even know for sure you were one of us until yesterday."

"No, just a tail," Ryder teases, getting a punch from Tori.

"Ignore him. I know it's difficult to accept, but this is who you are." Tory preaches.

Jade is trying to process but Ryder breaks the silence, "Do you regret being so harsh to me now?"

"Uh, no," Jade responded.

"So, who was the guy in the park?" Ryder asks. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"That is so not your business."

"For a second, I thought you were going to kiss him. I swear I almost had a heart attack." Tory said, throwing Jade completely off guard.

"Mai and humans do not mix well."

Ryder speaks, "I guess you'd call it a curse. We can't be intimate."

"Thank you. Even something as small as a kiss..."

"What happens in we kiss?" Jade interrupted her.

"It depends on the kiss; paralysis, death, sometimes paralysis and death. But don't worry, not for the Mai, just the human."

Tori grows annoyed, "Ryder, I swear. Don't let him frighten you. You didn't kiss that guy. He's fine. We were watching."

Jade takes out her phone and gets on it before looking back up at them and saying, "It's not him I'm worried about."

_**[Andre's Apartment/Street - Short Time Later]**_

Police cars and lights, a body is lifted into the back of the coroner's truck. Across the street, on the other side of the barricade, Jade is watching with Tori and Ryder. Jade has her hand over her mouth. This can't really be happening.

"It's not your fault." Tory pointed out. "You had no way of knowing."

"I'm sorry." Ryder says sincerely. Jade turns and walks away quickly. Tears are starting to stream down her cheeks.

Tori grabs Jade's arm to say something, "Jade, wait!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Please, just let us take you home."

"I can get home on my own."

"She means our home." Ryder responds. "You will be safe."

"Don't you get it?" Jade asks. "I don't want anything to do with you."

"I don't think you have a choice, at least until we figure out why the Order was after you."

"Or how they knew about you," Tori added. "They normally don't do this."

"The Order...?"

"Humans as a species aren't really crazy about different. The Order are the ones dedicated to its extinction."

"They've been hunting us for centuries." Ryder said. "Trust me; you will not be happy if that guy in the park catches you."

"Uh, yeah, too late, I guess you missed the part where he tossed me off the top of Coit Tower." A look passes between Ryder and Tori.

"Just now, what happened?" Tori asked.

"What do you think happened? It felt like I broke every bone in my body."

Ryder points out, "But you're still here."

"Sorry to disappoint." Jade snapped. Another look passes between Ryder and Tori.

"Only the Uniter has nine lives to live." Tori started to say.

"That would explain the sudden transformation." Ryder piped in.

"And nine lives to endure. Jade, I...we're not supposed to save you; you're supposed to save us." Tori spoke.

"That's not happening." Jade rejected.

"You have to come. Please. The Order knows and they won't stop. Many people are going to die."

"No. I'm not going with you. This has nothing to do with me." Jade pushes Ryder away and he goes flying. "Leave me alone." Jade takes off running.

_**[Oliver Capital]**_

Whitley Oliver, father of Beck Oliver, walks out of the building and heads for his waiting town car. He gets in the backseat and the door is closed. The scar-faced assassin is sitting next to him. Whitley doesn't seem surprised as the assassin says, "You're late."

"I've been working."

"I found the girl. She's who we have been waiting for. What would you like me to do now?"

"What do you think I'd like you to do?" Whitley asked. "Kill her as many times as you have to.

_**[Jade's House]**_

Brooke is watching TV when Jade bangs through and charges up the stairs. "Jade, I thought we agreed..." Jade interrupted her by slamming her bed room door. "Okay then."

_**[Jade's Room]**_

The shower is running behind her. Jade takes off her shirt and looks at her back in the mirror. It's completely covered in black and purple bruises. Jade hears her mom's voice at the door, _"Jade? What's going on? Are you alright?" _

_**[Jade's Bedroom - Later]**_

Jade, dressed but hair still wet, is sitting on her bed, knees pulled in tight, lost in thought. She abruptly hears loud rumbling and something charging towards her door.

"Jade!" Cat shouted, bursting into Jade's room. She looks like she's been crying. "You're home. I called you like a hundred bazillion times."

"It's okay. I'm fine, really."

"Why wouldn't you be fine?" Cat asked. "Robbie and I just broke up."

"Cat, I'm sorry, but I just can't right now."

"He was supposed to meet me at the Galaxy but didn't show. I bet his mom..."

"Cat...!" Jade shouted, cutting her off. "I just can't deal with you right now."

"And what do you have going on that's so important?" Cat questioned.

"How about this...?" Jade then pulls up her T-shirt to show her the bruises, but she see in the mirror that nothing is there. The bruises are gone.

"Yeah, I get it. You're a skinny bitch. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I think I died tonight." Jade spoke.

"Oh, Jade, are you okay?" She immediately puts her arm around Jade, but then Jade's phone buzzes. Jade walks over to the night stand to see its Robbie.

"It's Robbie. Should I answer?" Cat gives her a nod. Jade picks up the phone. "Hey, Robbie," But Robbie doesn't sound so good when he answers.

"Jade? I've got somebody here who wants to talk to you."

"Robbie?"

_**[Loft]**_

The scar-face assassin takes the phone away from Robbie's ear. "Hello Jade," The assassin taunts. "I believe you and I have some unfinished business." Robbie is stung up behind him in the corner of an abandoned loft.

_**[Loft - Minutes Later]**_

Cat jerks to a stop in front of a semi-abandoned four story building. Jade zips up her leather jacket while speaking, "You should probably keep the motor running."

"Jade." Cat called.

"It'll be okay. I'm just really sorry for getting you mixed up in all this, but I'll make it right."

Cat leans across and locks Jade's door. "There's no way I'm letting you out of this car without you telling me what's going on."

"Remember when you warned me about bad guys?" Jade asked. "I should have listened. If Robbie and I aren't out of there in two minutes, call the police."

"You can't go in there alone." Cat objected while Jade ran out of the car. "I don't mean I want to go with you, but you can't go in there alone."

"Trust me. I'll be fine." And Jade flashes her claws. Cat stifles a yelp, covering her mouth with both hands. "Wish me luck."

All Cat can do is nod. Jade runs toward the building. Two seconds later - Cat's car dies.

_**[Loft - Moments Later]**_

Robbie is tied up, arms over his head, in a corner of this large, unfinished loft space, obviously undergoing renovation. The scar-faced assassin is nowhere to be seen. "Uh, hello...? I don't suppose you'd consider tying my hands behind my back instead; I don't really have the upper body strength for this."

"Robbie?" The elevator door opens and Jade steps out. She can't see anyone.

"Jade. Get out of here. It's a trap." Robbie warns.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that part out on my own." She starts to cautiously move across the room towards Robbie. "Hey, creepy-creep, you know who you are. I'm just going to take my friend and go. I swear you'll never see me again. I don't know what's up with you and the Mai, but it really has nothing to do with me, so..." By the time Jade could barely finish, she hears the faintest sound behind her and quickly steps back. A ten-point ninja star whizzes past and is imbedded in the wall behind her. That was close, but another slices her in the leg and she's goes down. "Ah!" Jade screams.

Scar-face steps in view and pulls out a gleaming curved knife. It's both ancient and deadly. He taunts, "I know you don't think this has anything to do with you, but you're wrong. It has everything to do with you."

"Who the hell are you?" Jade asked darkly.

"I'm your executioner. I'll try to be quick with eight lives to go. This could take a while." He advances towards and Jade pulls up. She now looks mad than frightened.

"Newsflash, dying sucks. And I'm so not doing that again." She leaps up at him with her claws out. He wasn't expecting this. He goes down and she tumbles over him. They're both instantly back up. He advances on Jade, swinging his knife as she tries to retreat, ducking under the scaffolding. He lunges and Jade rolls out of the way just in time, slashing him in the leg.

"Now we're even. Oh, wait, I still need to throw you off a building." Jade taunted. But completely enraged, he launches another attack. Jade barely steps out of the way in time. Robbie sees Jade with her claws for the first time.

"Jade, that's so cool!" Robbie exclaims.

_**[Cat's Car - Same Time]**_

Cat is anxiously sitting in her car, cell phone at the ready, staring at her watch. "One minute, thirty-eight seconds. One minute, thirty nine..." A man lands on the hood of her car. There's another at the window.

"Where is she?" It's Ryder and Tori.

"Cat, please, there's not much time. Where's Jade?" Tori asked.

"In there, fourth floor." Cat responds. And they're both instantly gone, running for the building.

"Tori, Ryder?" Cat questioned. "Wait. Don't leave me here!" And she's out of the car, hustling behind them.

_**[Loft - moments later]**_

Crash! Another piece of scaffolding goes down. Jade is still holding him off. He thrusts and Jade defends. She slashes, but he catches her wrist and gets an elbow to the chest. She lets out a gasp of pain and he flips her back on the floor. Before she can get up, he's on her. Kneeling over her chest and both of her arms are pinned. Her claws are useless and Jade struggles.

"To kill the so-called Uniter will be the greatest accomplishment of my life." He says.

"You've got the wrong girl." Jade grunted.

"Perhaps you're right. So, let's see how many times I can kill you before you stop coming back to life." He raises his knife and is about to plunge it into her heart when Ryder leaps in and tackles scar-face. Crash! Jade is immediately on her feet and Tori is right beside her.

"Jade, go." Tori ordered. "We'll get your friend."

But Ryder comes flying back and lands at Jade's feet. It's pretty clear that Ryder or Tori are not a match for Scar-face.

"Get Robbie while I deal with this guy." Jade told them.

"No. You've got to get..."

"Now...!" Jade shouted. Ryder and Tori scramble as Scar-face launches another attack. Jade grabs a steel bar to try to defend herself. Slam, scrap! He flies back and Jade looks like she's finally about to clobber him when, "Jade!" Cat shrieks. She's at the elevator and that's all Scar-face needs as he grabs the pole and flips Jade away. She slams into a pile of boxes.

"Not now, Cat." Jade groaned, sitting up on her elbows before jumping up.

Cat spots Robbie who's just been untied. "Robbie." Cat calls and rushes over to him just as a ninja star imbeds itself into wood just inches from Robbie's head. She kisses him, but when she lets go, she looks back at the battle that Tori and Ryder have re-entered.

Even with three against one, Scar-face still seems to be winning. Robbie grabs a piece of metal pipe and heads into the fray. Jade gets a kick in the chest. Scar-face falls back towards Robbie.

"Don't worry, Jade. I got him!" Robbie shouts, helping Jade. Robbie hits him across the shoulders with the pipe. But it seems to infuriate him even further. With one swift move, he grabs Robbie and throws him up against the wall. Cat, who is really mad, picks up on of the industrial lights. Scarface sends Tori crashing into some scaffolding. For the moment, it's just him and Jade. And Jade looks like she might finally be getting the better of him, but as he stumbles, he grabs a board and it smacks Jade full on. Jade flies back and crashes out of one of the arched windows. Glass flying, Jade lands feet first a floor below on the fire escape. With a gasp, she mutters, "Thank god that's true." She looks up at Scarface who is looking down on her.

Scarface is at the edge of the broken window when suddenly Cat comes behind him with the light. Cat shouts, "Stay away from my friend!"

He turns back just as Cat slams him in the face with the light. It sparks and explodes and he tumbles backwards out the window. Scarface falls back, barely catching onto a fire escape railing before slamming onto a landing sever floors below and looks up at Jade. She sneers, "We're still not even."

He knows when it's time to retreat and continues to head down the fire escape and Jade takes up the chase. Ryder and Tori leap out of the window behind her.

Jade runs out into the street, but it's deserted. Ryder and Tori catch up. He seems to have vanished, but as she turns away, he steps out of the shadows and hurls a knife strait at Jade. The knife tumbles through the air, but just as it's about to hit, Tori pushes her out of the way. The knife hits her in the shoulder blade.

"Tori...!" Ryder calls out after it hits her. Jade looks up and Scarface is already gone.

"I was supposed to watch you." Tori muttered just before passing out in Ryder's arms. Cat and Robbie come running up.

"Oh my god, I'll call 911." Cat yells and takes her phone out of her pocket.

"No! I'll take her home. We can heal her I hope." He tells Robbie and Cat before turning to Jade. "But the rest of us only have this one life."

"I'm sorry."

"You can't run away."

"I know."

Then Ryder lifts his cousin in his arms and hurries away, leaving Jade standing alone in the street with Cat and Robbie.

_**[Beck's House]**_

Beck comes in the front door of this very impressive house and starts upstairs, but stops when he sees a light on in the front room. "Hey, dad, I didn't think you'd still be up." Beck says, walking into the front room. His dad was the one that wanted that guy to kill the girl, Jade West.

"Good day?"

"Yeah, actually it was a very good day." Beck starts walking out. "Goodnight."

_**[Tori's Room]**_

Tori is bandaged up and sleeping. Ryder watches from the door for a moment before walking out.

_**[Street]**_

Cat and Robbie are parked in Cat's car under a streetlight, making out.

_**[Jade's House]**_

Brooke stops at Jade's door, but decides not to knock. She walks into her room and gets on the floor in front of her closet. She reaches all the way to the back and pulls out a dusty, old shoe box. She opens it and inside is documents and letters. All of them are written in Russian.

_**[Beck's House]**_

Beck dials his cell and heads up the stairs. No answer. Finally, he hangs up.

_**[Jade's House]**_

Jade's cell phone has a Missed Call message. Jade is staring at her laptop. On it is a message. It simply says, "TRUST NO ONE; DAD."

_**[Outside]**_

Away from the house, the skyline and a lone hooded figure crouching on a neighboring roof, watching Jade's window. It's Ryder.

**A/N: Okay, so if you like it, awesome. If you don't, don't leave a review saying that all I write about are the supernatural. Someone has already done that on my other Jyder story and I don't want to have to deal with it on this one. **

**Next Chapter: Redemption **


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